On Your Side: Canceling health insurance through the Silver State Exchange

RENO, Nev. (MyNews4.com & KRNV) -- News 4 has been reporting on problems some people have experienced in trying to sign up for health care on Nevada's Silver State Exchange. Now, a different problem has emerged: canceling a policy.

One viewer is upset, because he believes he could be billed for up to 90 days while he tries to cancel his policy. News 4 has contacted the media representatives from the Exchange to get some answers, but they have not responded. Meanwhile, a long time insurance expert in Reno has provided some common sense advice for anyone who may be facing this problem.

Gordon Cornell said he supports the Affordable Care Act. He is thrilled to be able to obtain insurance. But he recently obtained new employment. Now he is having trouble canceling his policy through Nevada's Exchange.

The communications, it was not user-friendly," said Cornell. "There's nothing user-friendly about canceling."

For starters, he noticed there is no place to cancel on the website. When he called and talked to customer service, he did not like what he heard. "With regard to payment, they said that it could take them up to 90 days."

Hawley MacLean with MFG Financial Group said he feels for Cornell. "I don't think anybody thought this through with the exchange going in that somebody might actually want to cancel their policy, so there isn't an obvious place to go to cancel it."

MacLean said the health exchange and its processes are new for everybody. "Normally, yes, it's very easy to cancel your insurance. You can just call up your the insurance company, or your broker and cancel it."

But in this case, MacLean says the process may not be so clear cut. "You're supposed to be able to cancel it immediately. It might take you, you know, 30, 60, 90 days for them to acknowledge that or process that."

He recommends you notify the insurance company directly. If all else fails, simply stop payment. "When you sign up that you aren't locked in for a "x" number of years like a car payment, so it doesn't affect your credit."

MacLean said insurance brokers are more than happy to handle those problems, and it won't cost you an extra dime.

He is not alone. I've been trying since January 02 of this year to cancel the dental portion of my policy. They flat out refuse to help. I tried contacting Anthem directly to cancel the policy, but was told that because it was purchased through an exchange that they cannot cancel the policy, only the exchange can. Over twenty phone calls, several dozen emails and a half dozen certified letters to the health exchange have all gone unanswered. As far as their claim of after 90 days if you don't pay it's automatically dropped, that's BS as well. I'm going on month four and I just got another new bill for it. Thankfully I've not paid them a dime for the scam they're running (Anthem changed prices and coverage after the policy took effect, hence why I have been trying to cancel).